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| Caste protests outside Delhi leave millions of people without water | Caste protests outside Delhi leave millions of people without water |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| NEW DELHI — The Indian army on Monday wrested control of a canal outside India’s capital from protesters whose blockades and rioting had cut off water in millions of homes for a third straight day. | |
| The unrest was led by a privileged group in India’s society, still stratified by its ancient caste system. The group of farm owners, the Jats, wants to be included in a government classification for the socially disadvantaged that would give its members access to reserved seats for government jobs and schools. | |
| Schools and businesses across the capital region were closed Monday after days of rioting paralyzed the nearby state of Haryana, leaving a dozen dead and more than 100 injured. | Schools and businesses across the capital region were closed Monday after days of rioting paralyzed the nearby state of Haryana, leaving a dozen dead and more than 100 injured. |
| Over the past week, protesters had destroyed businesses and homes, blocked roads, forced the cancellation of more than 1,000 trains and left travelers stranded. | Over the past week, protesters had destroyed businesses and homes, blocked roads, forced the cancellation of more than 1,000 trains and left travelers stranded. |
| The violence prompted curfews in eight districts, including the Delhi suburb of Gurgaon, home to many multinational corporations, some of which closed down or let employees telecommute. | The violence prompted curfews in eight districts, including the Delhi suburb of Gurgaon, home to many multinational corporations, some of which closed down or let employees telecommute. |
| In Delhi, tanker trucks delivered water to the hardest-hit areas, and officials called for conservation. The army’s seizure of the canal should enable the city to restore service, officials said. | |
| [Study: Half the world suffers from water scarcity] | [Study: Half the world suffers from water scarcity] |
| “They are essentially a farming class, and agriculture is suffering. That’s why they are asking for this reservation in jobs, so they can survive,” said Nawal Singh, 60, a Jat who protested in solidarity with others by blocking an intersection in his home town last week. Singh is a retired banker who owns a five-bedroom house and drives a new Honda sedan. | “They are essentially a farming class, and agriculture is suffering. That’s why they are asking for this reservation in jobs, so they can survive,” said Nawal Singh, 60, a Jat who protested in solidarity with others by blocking an intersection in his home town last week. Singh is a retired banker who owns a five-bedroom house and drives a new Honda sedan. |
| India has long reserved special seats in universities and government jobs for tribal communities and Dalits, the Hindi term for the group once called “untouchables.” Those set-asides were later expanded to include some socially disadvantaged castes, a designation called “Other Backward Classes.” | India has long reserved special seats in universities and government jobs for tribal communities and Dalits, the Hindi term for the group once called “untouchables.” Those set-asides were later expanded to include some socially disadvantaged castes, a designation called “Other Backward Classes.” |
| The Jats — who dominate politics and village life in Haryana — had long lobbied to be included in this second category, despite their history. “Yes, we are in charge, but it’s not about the past — it’s about the future,” Singh said. “Of course we were the main landholders in the state, but land is shrinking, land has been divided. If a family has a small plot of land, it’s very hard for them to survive.” | |
| Last year, India’s Supreme Court struck down a government plan to include Jats in the reservation system, siding with the judgment of a panel that said they could not be classified as “backward” and that doing so would deprive more-deserving groups of benefits. | |
| Last summer, another group of relatively privileged merchants and hoteliers from Gujarat, the Patels, mounted a similar string of agitations. | Last summer, another group of relatively privileged merchants and hoteliers from Gujarat, the Patels, mounted a similar string of agitations. |
| Home Minister Rajnath Singh, after meeting with Jat leaders, said Sunday that a committee would be set up to reexamine the issue, despite the court’s ruling. Some critics accused the government of caving under pressure. | |
| “Is violence the key to everything? You can bring a government to its knees for three days?” said Vivek Vats, 43, who runs a mobile-phone shop in New Delhi. | “Is violence the key to everything? You can bring a government to its knees for three days?” said Vivek Vats, 43, who runs a mobile-phone shop in New Delhi. |
| Meanwhile, the city was gripped by what Kapil Mishra, chairman of the Delhi water board, called New Delhi’s “worst-ever water crisis.” Seven water treatment plants were shuttered. | Meanwhile, the city was gripped by what Kapil Mishra, chairman of the Delhi water board, called New Delhi’s “worst-ever water crisis.” Seven water treatment plants were shuttered. |
| Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for the city’s 16 million residents to conserve. | Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for the city’s 16 million residents to conserve. |
| “We’ve completely run out of water,” he tweeted Monday. | “We’ve completely run out of water,” he tweeted Monday. |
| Once the army had evicted the protesters from the canal, Delhi officials said, the plants would open and water would be gradually restored in the city starting Monday evening. | Once the army had evicted the protesters from the canal, Delhi officials said, the plants would open and water would be gradually restored in the city starting Monday evening. |
| Throughout the day in New Delhi, about 140 tanker trucks fanned out to give temporary water to neighborhoods, some of which had been dry since Friday. | |
| “I have not had a bath for three days,” grumbled Akhilesh Maurya, 32, a civil-service student. He said that he and his fellow students were paying double what they normally paid for bottled water and that a street near his home was blocked by protesters. “They should not trouble people with their agitation,” he said. “Common people shouldn’t suffer.” | |
| Farheen Fatima contributed to this report. | Farheen Fatima contributed to this report. |